


Stuck

by ChibiKinesis



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: M/M, Pre-Game(s), Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-08-15 03:34:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8040913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibiKinesis/pseuds/ChibiKinesis
Summary: A little over a month has passed since the bombs fell. On a curiously still evening at Parsons, Jack finds himself at the makeshift bedside of his sickly bodyguard, clutching at his shriveled hand, and consumed by his recollections of the last few weeks.





	Stuck

Over the last couple of weeks, the halls of the asylum had grown quiet; eerily so. The evacuation seemed like it was only yesterday, and in the same breath, felt like ages ago. Most all of the patients made it out, and to safety, or so Jack hoped. There were tantrums, fits, and many an escape attempt by those not so fortunate. Some even made it out. He could hardly blame them. With Edward’s help, Jack was able to maintain things. Able to ration the supplies at the asylum, and to more or less keep them safe. Though if he was honest, Edward’s presence and reliability was probably the _only_ thing keeping his own sanity in check.

He never could grasp how the man remained so level-headed.

But as the days crept by, Edward inevitably succumbed to the radiation that he was simply too stubborn to admit that he’d taken. He fought against it, tooth and nail, insisted he was alright, but Jack _knew_. They _both_ knew. Each passing day, his eyes sunk a bit more, cheeks became more gaunt, his usually healthy complexion grew pale and sickly, and he was losing hair at a noticeably increasing rate. Each passing day, his voice grew just a little more hoarse, he lost a bit more strength, and started to struggle with everyday tasks.

But he kept pushing, in true Edward fashion, until he couldn’t push any further. Though his own well-being was _never_ his priority. To say that he took his job seriously was an understatement.

 _Too seriously_ , Jack thought to himself, recalling the day Edward finally collapsed.

 _That was two weeks ago_.

The sound of a strained cough seized Jack’s attention, drew him from his gloomy reverie. He straightened in his chair, and looked about the dimly lit room to remind himself of where he really was. Seemed he had to do this more often than before; it was becoming hard to differentiate reality from memories and daydreams, and there was so little left to distract him from them.

But the reality of seeing Edward laying on the stretcher beside him was sobering enough.

 _Still asleep_ , he mused. _At least he’s resting_.

Reaching clumsily, with fumbling, shaky fingers, he found the man’s shriveled hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He hoped for some kind of response, but none came.

Still reluctant to release Edward’s hand, he sat in silence, save for the monotonous hum of the generator across the room, the rhythmic beeping of the patient monitor, and of the intravenous pump that was attached to it.

Soon enough, in the quiet of it all, his thoughts set adrift again.

Jack remembered the panicked frenzy as he and the rest of the staff did their best to get the patients out and to safety. The building shaking as the blast wave hit its walls. The shrieks and cries of fear and awe filling their air. His own racing thoughts as he surveyed his surroundings.

Sheer madness.

His head spun, and everything felt as though it were moving in slow motion around him. Breaths shallow and desperate, and his head throbbing, the sound of the havoc around him began to grow muffled. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Moments. Hours. There was no way to tell for sure. But the longer he stood trying to decide a route of action, the more helpless he felt. Helpless, hopeless, and _useless_.

They’d done the drills. They’d discussed what to do in case it ever came to this, _and yet_ \- putting those plans into action seemed such a foreign notion under an all-too-real pressure.

Edward had said it best himself: “ _Nothin_ ’ can _truly_ prepare ya’ for _the end of the world_.”

Jack stopped to think of them in the midst of all the havoc; Mother and Emogene and Edward - and he hoped with every fiber of his being that they’ve sought refuge; that they’ve found somewhere to take up shelter. But he knows Edward’s with them - he’s sure to get them all to safety.

He knows that he can easily take shelter in the basement with Lorenzo, and almost certainly be out of harm’s way, but first… he has his duties to attend to. And he’d be damned if he would run with his tail tucked like a coward. Not until he was certain that most of the patients had been evacuated.

It was just too bad that was easier said than done.

If only he could _move._ Hectic thoughts of uncertainty and inadequacy kept him locked in position. How could he hope to help all of these people? Where would he even _begin_ -

“Jack!”

A firm hand grasped his shoulder, and a familiar voice broke its way through his muddled thoughts and the pounding in Jack’s head. He turned to its source, baffled. Joy and anger and utter _disbelief_ hit him like a punch in the stomach at the sight that greeted him.

“E-Edward!” He sputtered. “What in the hell are you _doing_ here?!”

“ _My job_.” His bodyguard answered firmly. “I got here as fast as I could-”

“What about Emogene? And-… and Mother? Are they-”

“They’re _fine_.” Edward explained. “They’re safe.”

“- and then you _left safety_ to come _here_?” Jack snipped. “What were you thinking?!”

“That I’ve still got _a job to do_. Are you alright?”

“ _Damn_ it, Edward-”

He felt his guard’s firm hand squeeze at his shoulder. “I’m _not_ leaving. Not without you.”

The words weighed heavy on Jack’s conscience. “I can’t leave - not with all these people still- and Father- I-”

“I know.” Edward offered a small, bittersweet smile. “I’m here to help. Any way I can. What do you need me to do?”

 _Curious_. In spite of everything that had happened that day, Edward seemed as level-headed as ever. Ready to take anything head-on, even though the circumstances left little choice.

But _now_ …

Jack snapped back to reality. His gaze fell upon the hand in his grasp and he heaved a tired breath. Though to simply call it tired _hardly_ did it justice. Spent. Careworn. Anxious. Frazzled. Afraid. The list could go on and on, so he simply deemed himself _tired_ for the sake of simplicity.

“Why so glum?” a raspy voice broke the lingering silence, though it was nearly drowned out by the generator across the way.

Jack drew a small gasp, and looked up to find two sorely bloodshot, hazy blue eyes peering back at him.

“Edward, you’re awake.” He sighed in relief, giving Edward’s shriveled hand a firm squeeze, anxiously shuffling his chair around to face the makeshift bed and its inhabitant. He realized he probably looked like an excited puppy. In fact, he was almost certain that he lit up like a Christmas tree. Under normal circumstances, he’d have been a little embarrassed. But in this case, he hardly cared. “How are you feeling?”

“Better, actually.”

“ _Good_.” Jack spouted. “Seems your vitals are finally stabilizing, but you’ve been out for a while. I was really starting to worry.”

“Just _startin’_ to worry?” Edward teased gently.

“Even when you’re flirting with death, you’re never too far gone to _hassle_ me, are you?” Jack chuckled. He reached a short distance away, and grabbed a can of purified water, pouring some into a glass and moving to the bedside. “Though I guess I should be _relieved_.”

Drawing nearer, he raised it to Edward’s mouth and tipped it to allow him a drink; Jack was hardly surprised when it was all gulped down greedily in a few swigs.

“Not too fast, Edward!”

His scolding was answered with a few small coughs, and a sigh of contentment as Edward’s tired head fell back against his pillow.

“Heh. The day I stop hasslin’ you is the day you _really_ need to worry.” He spoke more slowly than usual, an air of grogginess in his tone, as his lips quirked into a smile that gave Jack a small sense of comfort.

“Well it’s hard for you to hassle me when you’re _out cold_ for the better part of a week.”

“A… a week…? _Damn_.” Edward laid his head back against the pillow and pondered it for a moment. But in true Edward fashion, he chuckled. _Of course he did_. Jack could even predict what was going to come out of his mouth next; “Bet you were going _batshit._ ”

And he wasn’t _entirely_ wrong.

“Well, for the first couple of days, _sure_.” Jack knew better than to argue. Even if he were to win, they both knew better. And besides, the last thing he wanted to do at a time like this was argue over something so petty. “But I’d like to think I got a handle on things after that. I mean… all things considered.”

“Well, we’re both still here, and each of us in one piece.”

“More or less.” Jack affirmed.

“I’d say you did a fair job holdin’ the fort down.” Edward smiled. “Shootin’ lessons came in handy.”

“They certainly _have_. Never thought I’d actually have to put those lessons to use. Never thought I’d be half as good at it as I am, either.”

“Never doubted ya’.” Edward spoke. “I knew you’d manage. Hell, you might not even need me around after all this.”

“Now, _just a moment_ -” _There_ was the haughty tone Edward was waiting to hear. He’d missed it more than he cared to admit. “- don’t be _ridiculous_ , Edward. Do you even _hear_ yourself? Why in the world would you _dare_ say such a thing? I wouldn’t have done all this work - gone to all these means - to save your hide if I didn’t want you a-”

The squeeze at Jack’s hand effectively hushed him - though not before he received a disapproving scowl - but the half-smile on Edward’s face helped to calm his nerves.

“ _I’m kidding_.” He reassured, the smallest raspy chuckle in his voice. Though he was certain Jack knew as much; sometimes it just took him a moment to realize. “Kinda’ nice to hear you get pissy though. It’s been a while.”

“Circumstances haven’t quite allowed for it.” Jack conceded, glancing out at the peeks of hazy dusk through one of the haphazardly boarded windows. It was typically quiet, there in their little bubble of seclusion; a small comfort, though they both knew what lay outside, and they were both content to enjoy their small sense of safety for as long as they could. “The future feels so uncertain now… I ponder it far more than I probably should.”

“Can’t be helped.” Edward comforted. “How are things out there?”

“ _Terrible_.” He laughed a bitter laugh. “The trips I’ve made between here and home have been _trying_ , but _well worth it_. After all, we’re having this conversation, so I must have done something worthwhile.”

“And to think I told you to just leave me here.”

“And I’m glad I didn’t listen. You are _entirely_ too bullheaded for your own good, Edward, do you know that?”

“I do. Thanks for not givin’ up on me.”

“I could never.” Jack reassured, giving another gentle squeeze to the hand that never left his grasp.

Edward cracked a small smile of resign. “I hate to be the bearer of _bad news_ , Jack, but uh… I think you might be stuck with me _after all_.”

 _A bold prediction._ But…

“Sounds like _my kind of problem_.” Jack’s lips quirked up ever so slightly. “And being that you’ve stuck it out this long - I’m starting to think you may be right. In fact _I really hope you are_.”

“You an’ me both.” he felt Jack grip his hand just a little more tightly, and he returned the gesture without hesitation. “An’ besides…”

“Hm?”

“ _I’ve still got a job to do_.”


End file.
